Change the World Wednesday – 5th Mar

It doesn’t look any different, but it’s working

I cancelled my PC hunting trip last week. Not because I don’t need one, I do. But before I could leave the house, you guessed it, another PC drama. I decided to give the reinstall of XP another go and I was lucky, the full reinstall was a success… except for one thing, when I connected to the net my PC was sending wi-fi, but not receiving. Convinced that the problem was the server, I rang, he came, plugged in his laptop to my net; BINGO! Worked perfectly, the problem was my PC – the plug unit into the motherboard was kaput. He suggested that I bypass the connection.

Straight into town, and bought a new net board, plugged it in and BINGO AGAIN! Fixed the problem for R$31; cheaper than a secondhand PC.

All the glamour of carnival, like nowhere else on earth

Brazil is in the middle of Carnaval week. Started Friday, the last Rio parades were Monday night. But nobody wants to work, nobody wants English class, so the whole week is a waste.

Unfortunately carnaval is probably the most ‘ungreen’ time of the year.

This year is made worse by the garis (street sweepers) going on strike for better pay and conditions. The strike started on Saturday and Rio looks like this now.

The city centre after street parades – not a pretty sight. Just look at all that plastic!

With no end in sight. The workers have set their demands, and the city council countered with a fraction that left the talks at a stalemate.

A street sweeper earns currently about R$780+/- a month ($360). That’s the minimum salary. That is not enough to live. I couldn’t live on that, I am trying to this month because of a lack of classes, and I can’t, I have had to fall back on resources. Brazilians don’t have resources.

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Anyway, on with this week’s CTWW.

This week Small is challenging us over our wardrobes (closets) and our addiction to fashion.

This week, choose two outfits and wear them exclusively for the week. This does not include undergarments. To make this challenge work, do not wash clothes more often than usual. If you feel that your clothing needs freshening up, try hanging it in the bathroom while you shower … or hang it outside for “airing”. The idea is to see if we can live with less while maintaining water conservation and good environmental practices.

 

OR … If you absolutely need more than two outfits this week, please do an analysis of your closet. How many items do you have? Where (which country) were they manufactured? Are you aware of the factory working conditions in that part of the world? What materials are used? Are any natural fibers dyed or bleached? If cotton is used, is it organic? Do any items include plastic (buttons, trim, etc.)? Take an honest look at your closet. Once you’ve gathered the results, how could you make your wardrobe more Eco-friendly?

The world of fashion is one of my pet hates. It is totally unnecessary and self-serving. I hate the idea of ‘brand labels’ and I refuse to buy them.

This is totally unnecessary, a waste of resources and blatant consumerism, besides they look ridiculous

Men’s fashion as well.

The whole fashion industry should be dismantled and we would be doing much more for the planet than we are currently.

I, by necessity, fall naturally into the first category; mainly driven by my frugal needs.

Two outfits, is easy. I have a pair of jeans for work and going out, and two pairs of shorts, one of which is due to fall off me and for home use only, the other for wear outside the gate.

My wardrobe consists of three pair of jeans, one newer pair for everyday use, and two older pair kept for emergencies. All my shirts are secondhand and most of my T-shirts, although I have had to buy a few with pockets. I have one good pair of shoes, and my old sneakers as a reserve, I have two pair of flipflops, they break so easily I have a new pair still in the packet ready.

As to where they are made, I have no idea, but most are natural fibres.

Because I wear my jeans for about two hours a day for part of the week, they only get washed every two weeks. I have dispensed with washing the shorts that are due to fall into pieces; washing could hasten the process.

My washing load this week: one bed sheet, one pillowcase, one pair of socks, three pair of underpants, one tea towel, one hand towel, one bath towel, one white shirt and a T-shirt.

That about covers it. A little of both parts of the challenge.